Feeder for can-filling machines



c. E.-STEERE.

FEEDER FOR CAN FILLING,MACH|NES.

' I APPLICATION FILED JAN. I7.'I9l8. R 1,343,417. I PatentedJune 15,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

C. E. STEERE. FEEDER FOR CAN FILLING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN- II. 1918.

Patented J um 15, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. STEERE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNQR TO HENRY SCAR-BOROUGH, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FEEDER FOR CAN-FILLING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters ratent. Patented June 15, 1920.

Applicationfiled January 17, 1918. Serial No. 212,245.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. STEERE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and resident of Milwaukee, Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feeders for Can-FillingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in can-filling machines, and moreparticularly to an improved mechanism for regulating the feed of thecans to the machine.

My object is to provide an improved structure for this purpose whichwill be simple durable and reliable in construction, an effective andefiicient in operation.

Other objects of my invention will appear.

hereinafter. My invention consists in the features of noveltyexemplified by the construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and moreparticularly set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a view, partly in sectlon andpartly in elevation, of a can-filling machine embodying my invention-Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly 1n section,

on the line 22 of Fig. 1, of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is .an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, I illustrate my invention in connection with acan-filling machine of the type constituting the subject-matter of myco-pending appllcation Ser1al No 141,- 537, filed January 10, 1917, butmy invention is equally as applicable to machines of the type shown inmy co-pendlng application Serial No. 160, 17 1, filed April 7, 1917.

This machine is of the continuous rotary type to whichthe cans are fedsuccessively and from which the cans leave successively after havingbeen charged with measured quantities of material. In general, thismachine involves a frame in the lower portion of which the drivingmechanism and above which the can-filling mechanism is located. Theframe has a flat top table 1 supported by a number of legs 2. The top ofthe table is circular and provides a can-supporting race or track aroundwhich the cans travel. The machine has a central upstanding shaft 4which is supported in suitable bearings 5 in the frame and is driven bymeans of the horizontal crown gear 6, bevel pinion 7 and shaft 8, fromany suitable source of power, the crown gear being fastened to theshaft. The shaft extends above the cansupporting surface of the frameand suports the measuring and filling mechanism.

his mechanism embodies a cylindrical hopper 10 and a plurality ofmeasuring devices 11 depending from the hopper. These measuring devicesare in the form of small cylinders directly connected with the undersideof the hopper and comprise telescoping sections, whereby the capacity ofthe chambers formed therein may be varied. Each measuring device has apair' of horizontally swinging gates movable into andout of the chamberin timed relation for controlling the movement of the material from thehopper to the measuring chamber, and from said chamber into thecontainer or can to be filled. In thepresent machine, there are six ofthese measuring devices equally spaced apart and traveling the measuringdevice to receive the charge therefrom. These pushers engage the cans atthe point where the cans are fed into the machine and slide the cans inthe circular path upon the supporting surface at the same time holdingthe cans in filling position with relation to the corresponding devices.

The cans are fed successively to the machine by means of a can-moving orconveying device and a regulating mechanism associated therewith In thepresent machine, this feeding mechanism is disposed substantiallyradially with respect to the circular path of travel of the cans.conveying device involves an endless belt 20 The disposed substantiallyhorizontally and extending outwardly to a point where the empty cans maybe supplied thereto. In this case the cans come to the conveyer from thesource through a curved chute 21, although, if desired, the can may beindiscriminately placed directly upon the conveyer by an operator, andthe chute dispensed with. The conveyer belt travels over suitablesprockets 22 and 23 at the ends thereof. The outer sprocket is mountedin a suitable post or standard 24, and the inner sprocket is mounted ona shaft 25 set within the frame top member so thatthe inner end of theconveyer overlies the path of travel of the cans.- The sprocket is somounted adjacent an opening 26 in the frame top member that the upperreach of the conveyer belt lies substantially flush with thecan-supporting surface of the frame -member. The inner sprocket shaft 25is mounted in suitable bearings in the frame-member and has a bevel gear28 at its end which meshes with a corresponding gear'on a vertical shaft29. This shaft carries a spur gear 30 at its lower end which is drivenby a large gear 31 mounted directly on the central vertical shaft 4 ofthe filling machine. The ratio of this train of gears is such that theconveyer is driven at a greater speed than the moving measuring andfilling devices. The conveyer belt is preferably made up of a pluralityof transverse slats mounted upon an endless sprocket chain 20*, thusproviding a belt of suflicient width for the largest size can for whichthe machine is adapted. The upper reach of the conveyer belt forms thecan-carrying portion and this is, maintained in a substantially straightline by means of the guide plates 33 which extend along either side ofthe belt from the machine frame to the standard 24, and which isprovided with grooved flanges 24 for the edges of the conveyer belt.Along the sides of the conveyer are railings 35, which form a guidewayfor thecans. These are spaced apart sufliciently for the diameter of onecan so that the cans will travel in single succession in the guideway.The uprights 36 for these railings are turned horizontally at 37 beneaththe supporting plates 33, and arev provided with a bolt and slotconnection therewith for the purpose of permitting lateral adjustment ofthe guide rails for the different sizes of cans. The conveyer runsconstantly and at a uniform speed proportional to the filling machine,and although the cans are relatively disconnected from the conveyer,the'weight of the cans causes sufficient friction between the cans andthe conveyer to carry them to the filling machine. I provide an arm 40,having a finger 41 at its end adapted to be reciprocated transverselyinto andout of the oath of the the crown gear 6 ried beyond for the canson the conveyer in order to control the feeding of the cans. This arm ismounted on a rocker shaft 42 positioned beneath the conveyer and mountedin a suitable bearing 43 suspended from the frame of the ma; chine. Theshaft is disposed substantially horizontally and radially with respectto on the shaft 4. This gear has a plurality of pins or nubs-44projecting therefrom and adapted to actuate an arm 45 on the inner endof the shaft 42. There are a number of these nubs corresponding to thenumber of measuring devices and they operate to rock the arm 45 andthereby swing the finger 41 outwardly from the path of the cans on theconveyer and release the end can from the row, conveyer will carry saidend whereupon the can into the path of the measuring devices. In linewith the conveyer is an upstanding stop member 46 which forms anabutment against which the conveyer carries the cans. This stop preventsthe cans from being carproper position. It is mounted on the framemember and is adjustable by means of the bolt and slot connections 46.This mechanism is so timed that the end can will be released after thepreceding end can has been moved out of-the way by a measuring deviceand prior to the arrival of the succeeding measuring device at thefeeding point. The release of the can is so arranged that the conveyerwill have time to carry the can into position in advance of themeasuring. During the periods between the releasing operation, thefinger remains in the path ofthe cans on the conveyer and holds themagainst entering the machine. The conveyer, however, under theseconditons simply slides beneath the cans. In the event that the on theconveyer in abutting succession, any gaps between cans will be closed bythe continuous movement of the conveyer. The finger arm is returnedafter each operation, and is yieldingly held in position by the spring47 which is connected between the arm and frame. The controlling finger,at its end portion, is tapered to a comparatively sharp edge so that itwill properly pass between the end and second cans, and, furthermore,will be adaptable to the different sizes of cans. that this finger willhold the cans even though it should happen to engage the seccans havenot been placed.

It will be observed.

end can at any point on its circumference in front of a dlametrical linepassing through the finger, it will still hold the cans. The advanta eof the spring as a-return means nger'causes the finger to yield andprevent damaging a can in the event that the finger should happen tostrike squarely in the middle of the can. The finger is preferably madelong enough to serve for the various sizes of cans, and the arm isrotatablyadjustable on its shaft as desired,

it being secured on said shaft by means of the set screw 48.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A feeding mechanism of the class described including a conveyer,means movable transversely of the path of the conveyer for carryingarticles laterally from the con veyer, means synchronized in movementwith said first named means for holding work articles against movementon the conveyer, and a stop engageable 'by articles on the'conveyer tohold articles for engagement by said first named means, said stop beingadjustable in the direction of movement of the conveyer.

2. A feeding mechanism of the class described including a stationaryfilling table, a plurality of spaced article carrying members movablecontinuously in an annular path and spaced above the table, a conveyerextending substantially radial with respect to the axis of movement ofsaid members and having its discharge end disposed under the path ofmovement thereof, a member movable to and from a position engagingarticles on the conveyer, means for moving said member in synchronismwith movementof the article carrying members whereby to releasesuccessive articles for movement on the conveyer at timed intervals anda stop member disposed within the annular path of said work carryingmembers at the inner end of the conveyer to hold said released articlesfor engagement of the articles successively by the article carryingmembers.

3. A feeding mechanism of the class described including a plurality ofspaced work carrying members movable continuously in an annular path, aconveyer extending substantially radial with respect to the axis ofmovement of said members and having its discharge end disposed under thepath of movement thereof, a member movable to and from a positionengaging articles on the conveyer, means for moving said member insynchronism .with movement of the article carrying members whereby torelease successive articles for movement on the conveyer at tlmedintervals for engagement of i the articles successively by the workcarrying members, and a stop member adjacent the discharge end of theconveyer adjustable in a direction longitudinal with respect to theconveyer. V

4. A feeding mechanism of the class described including a plurality ofWork carrying members movable in an annular path, v

a conveyer extending in a direction substantially radial with respect tothe axis of movement of said members and having its discharge enddisposed under the path of

